TEHRAN – A health screening scheme for schools is underway nationwide, health ministry official Hamed Barakati announced, ISNA reported on Monday.

The tests include vaccination, dental checks, personal health record, growth monitoring, vision assessment as well as physicals including skin and hair, cardiac, lung and thyroid problems, which are done by the beginning of the new school year.

As of the beginning of [the Iranian month of] Tir, June 22, physical health and readiness of students will be monitored by doctors, he said.

The screening tests are offered to students with 5, 6, 9, 12, and 15 years of age.

Schools introduce students to health centers in order to go under screening.

Students, who have some problems with their health, will be referred to specialists for further treatments, he said.

According to World Health Organization (WHO), the aim of early disease detection (sometimes called secondary prevention) is simple. Primary prevention seeks to abolish disease by protecting the individual and the population from attack before the challenge has been made.

Early detection (case-finding) aims at discovering and curing conditions which have already produced pathological change but which have not so far reached a stage at which medical aid is sought spontaneously.

20,000 health promoting schools

About 20,000 health promoting schools exist nationwide, however, during the past three years, the health ministry has been trying to develop the quality of the health promoting schools with the help of the education ministry, he said.

A health promoting school is one that constantly strengthens its capacity as a healthy setting for living, learning and working.

Eight fields are described for the health promoting schools in Iran which includes physical health of students, teachers and school personnel as well as environmental hygiene, physical activities and food safety.

According to WHO, health-promoting school aims to foster health and learning with all the measures at its disposal, engage health and education officials, teachers, teachers' unions, students, parents, health providers and community leaders in efforts to make the school a healthy place, strive to provide a healthy environment, school health education, and school health services along with school/community projects and outreach, health promotion programs for staff, nutrition and food safety programs, opportunities for physical education and recreation, and programs for counselling, social support and mental health promotion.

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